Maya * Aztec Astrology Report

Introduction - The Astrology of Time

The ancient Maya and Aztec astrologers studied the
mysterious influence of the rhythms of the sky on earthly
life. Everyone knows the Sun rises and sets every day --
this is the basic rhythm of life around which we set our
clocks and calendars. What the ancient astrologers
discovered was that other time cycles existed that were
multiples of this basic day cycle. This fact was discovered
about 100 years ago in Europe and these cycles (there are
many of them) are now called biorhythms.

The most important time cycles in ancient Mayan and
Aztec astrology are those of the day, 9-days, 13-days, and
20-days. Additionally, years are counted also, in groups of
4 and 13. Each day is then part of several other cycles, so
no two days are exactly the same. Your Maya/Aztec horoscope
below shows exactly where in each of the cycles you were
born. Each category below examines a specific cycle and a
specific aspect of your personality. Keep in mind that our
personalities are complex and contain many contradictions.
All of us present a different "face" depending on who we
meet. The delineations below will reflect this, but they
will also give you a clear picture of who you really are.
The true value of astrology lies in self-knowledge, the
first step to wisdom.

Your Most Personal Traits -- The Day-Sign of Your Birth

Here are your strongest and most obvious personality
traits. The delineation below describes who you are and how
you appear to others, at least on the surface. In Aztec
astrology this part of your horoscope is your Tonalli, or
Day-Sign, the form bestowed upon you by the Sun.

Monkey:
Some might think you a clown or entertainer. You do need
attention and probably learned very early how to put on a
performance to get it. It is very possible that you are an
actor, artist, musician, designer or writer. You may also
be multi-talented, able to switch from one art form to
another with little effort. If you don't practice an art
form you probably seek other ways to get attention, and in
some cases, less socially acceptable ways such as flirtation
and grandstanding.

Perhaps it is the cultivation and development of
personality that is the core issue for Monkey types. The
mask of the self, the social personality, appears to be the
strong point, or the object of obsession, for those of you
born on this day. You experience life as theater and the
mask becomes all important. In careers where personal
presentation is crucial to success, as in performing or
sales, a developed personality is a real asset -- and it is
to this type of career that you are probably attracted.

You are the type of person who assumes positions of
leadership. By nature you are not a follower and therefore
your choice is either independence or leadership -- but
leaders get more attention. Your consistent self-promotion
is often perceived by others as attractiveness or even
charisma. You may also have a tendency to dominate
conversations. However, these traits probably operate
unconsciously. It may be that you are really quite insecure
and need to compensate by getting the world to acknowledge
your worth. However, sometimes you compensate a little too
much and can be overbearing and overwhelming. But in spite
of your nervous energy, constant talking (you may go to
extremes here) and need for approval, you are probably quite
competent, and possibly excellent, at what you do. You have
a strong character and others should, and generally they do,
take you very seriously.

In close relationships you may be reserved, cool and
wary, fearful of getting deeply involved on an emotional
level. You may fear losing your center to another and so you
keep up a good defense. Another possibility is that you
really don't want a close relationship and enjoy "playing
the field" -- which is just another way of getting attention
from the world. Your emotional distancing may be seductive
to others as it lends an air of mystery to your already
dramatic character. On the other hand, you also have
powerful drives, a strong desire nature and a need for
variety. Your sexual desires are probably strong and these
may indirectly motivate you to accomplish things you
ordinarily wouldn't. Your desire for leadership and
attention is also behind your many accomplishments. Perhaps
these drives are one and the same.

You are also a very communicative and curious person.
You are interested in everything that passes in front of you
and will go out of your way to learn how something works.
You make an excellent teacher and are an equally good
student. Mentally, you are capable of working with details,
but you excel at generalities. This quality helps you
immensely when it comes to handling a leadership position.
Many less flamboyant natives of this day-sign become
reporters, writers, lawyers or other communicators. You
have good instincts when it comes to working with people.
In fact, it is in the human arena that you excel, technical
subjects without social interaction generally don't hold
your attention for long.

The Aztec name for this day-sign is Ozomatli, meaning
monkey, and they symbolized it with the head of that animal.
It is the eleventh of the twenty day-signs. In ancient
times those born under it were said to be clever, charming
and dramatic, and they knew all the right people. Females
born under it were said to be musical, graceful, but also
easily persuaded in any matter. Today we might say that
those born under this sign are artistic and flexible in
their attitudes toward others. The Aztec god that ruled
this sign was Xochipilli, the Flower Prince, a god of
dancing, happiness and irresponsible sexual activities. One
must keep in mind that the Aztecs were extremely puritanical
when it came to sex and their views on this subject should
be kept in perspective.

The personality of your day-sign is reflected in the
planet and sign emphasis in your Western astrological chart.
The zodiac signs Gemini, Leo and Aquarius, or the planets
Mercury, Uranus or the Sun, are likely to be found in some
type of emphasis in your birthchart. These are symbols of
your unique individuality and your tireless mind. You may
also have a strong or emphasized third house.

Your Deeper Self -- The 13-day Week of Your Birth

Each of us reacts to the world around us in different
ways. Our reactions are mostly unconscious; they represent
what our deeper self needs. Our reactions both attract and
repel us from things, people, and situations. What we like,
what we like to do, and who we really are is shown by the
13-day week called the Trecena that we were born under. Each
of these periods begins with the number 1 and the name of
the day-sign that starts it. A number is attached to your
position within the 13-day period that may be an important
number for you.

You were born on the first day of the 13-day period
beginning with 1-Monkey. Your day-sign and 13-day period
sign are the same. You do indeed have a strong need to be in
the limelight or gain the respect of the public. You are
not unlike a politician and you may be well suited to
activities like teaching, performance, and presentations of
all kinds. You are a complicated person with a compulsive
need for creative interaction with others.

You are a quick learner and are interested in a variety
of subjects. You know how to do many things, though not all
of them well. Being creative is what you do best. In your
speech, your presentation of yourself, your art, or through
your children, you bring together the best of a variety of
ideas. But you are impressive to others and know just how
to get them interested in what you are doing.

You like to be near, or at the top of the pecking
order. You have great leadership instincts and aren't shy
about performing. Generosity, optimism, and understanding
are some of your best traits. You want to be important --
it is your way of knowing and feeling good about yourself.

Monkey is a sign of the West, a direction symbolic of
encounter and cooperation with others. Yours is a world of
relationship and interaction with others. You need other
people to give meaning to your life, and you give vitality
and enjoyment to them. You are among the best of leaders
because you so fully appreciate the needs of others.

The Aztecs believed that a person born on the day
1-Monkey would entertain others and give them solace.
Everyone would be his friend, none would hate him. If he
were an artist, he would produce a great work of art.

What You Share With the Others of Your Birth Year

The Maya and Aztec astrologers recognized that each year
produces a unique group of people. Each individual year in
a 52-year cycle is linked with a number and a compass
direction that has an astrological meaning. The delineation
below says something about you in only a general sense. It
describes the general traits that you share with others born
in your year.

You were born in the year called 2-West. It is in the
West that the Sun leaves the sky and disappears beneath the
earth. It is the point where day is changed into night but
it is also the point where day and night merge. The
implication here is that the West is a direction symbolic of
both transition and merging, a point of balance between two
worlds. In a general sense, those born during this year
stride along boundaries, one foot in the past and one in the
future, one foot that is their own, one that is part of
another. The energy of the West is balancing energy.

In a very general sense, relatedness is a challenge for
you and all the others born this year. As a group you find
it necessary to become skillful in handling relationships
and dealing with other people in general. Diplomacy and
counseling abilities are your strong point. Your ability to
weigh alternatives will eventually lead you to good judgment
and fair decisions, but if you take to long to think, you
may be perceived as indecisive. The style of those born on
this year is not so dramatic as it is sensitive to the
needs of others and genuinely concerned with progress in the
area of relationship -- personal and collective.

The number 2 preceding the direction of your birth
indicates that it is a responsive and reactive year. You
take strong imprints from the world around you and you carry
memories for many years.

Your Deepest and Darkest Motivations -- the Night Lord

The ancient Mayan and Aztec astrologers used a 9-day
cycle of gods and goddesses called the "Lords of the Night."
These deities symbolize the workings of your deepest and
darkest self, parts of you that others may not know of or
understand. They also symbolize the deepest forces behind
your "will to exist."

You were born under the sixth Lord of the Night.
Chalchihuitlicue (Chal-chi-WIT-lee-ku-ee), the Aztec goddess
of water, springs, lakes, rivers, and birth itself is your
ruling deity. She suggests that you are an emotionally deep
person, difficult for others to understand. You feel
strongly about many things, have strong attachments to the
feminine side of life, and struggle with the role of parent.

Your deepest instincts push you towards a
self-sufficient kind of lifestyle or career. You may be
self-employed, or have had this kind of experience at some
point in your life. This drive is behind many of your
personality traits -- you are controlled, traditional,
organized, and markedly entrepreneurial. You have a strong
desire to build something, a business or an empire, and you
are a very hard worker. Your work is rarely something done
alone, more often you deal directly with the public, perhaps
as a consultant or counselor.

Capturing the attention of the world is one of your
goals. It is almost as if you need the world to verify the
reality of anything you accomplish. You are strongly
motivated by fame and worldly success and you constantly
hold yourself to high standards of performance, ones that
you probably didn't create on your own. Here is the secret
to understanding your unconscious will -- you are driven to
success in the world because you are really striving to be
accepted by others. Probably, as a youth, one of your
parents was somewhat critical of you. This may have led you
to feel that standards of behavior and accomplishment are
what life was all about. The lack of a parent or parents can
have the same effect. If one or both of your parents were
rarely present, or perhaps completely unavailable, you may
have used your childhood imagination to create a set of
standards that you believed your lost parents would have
held. In either case, you do need to succeed in the world
and be recognized for it. Media publicity and public
popularity is very important to you. It is as if this kind
of success signals to you the approval of your parents.

Your drive for independence and approval are all part
of your quest for self-worth. Self-worth is belief in
yourself, belief that you are a worthy person with something
to offer. Why are you driven by this quest? Probably because
you have many deep fears about who you are. Your ambitions
and achievements in the outer world are all a response to
this deep inner need. Your fear is that you are nothing, so
you work to make something of yourself. As you progress
along your path your life becomes a learning experiment and
you discover your strengths and weaknesses. You become
sensitive to the rhythms and nuances of life and you may
develop a special interest and respect for the feminine side
of life. Your best friends or clients may be women, or, if
you are female, you may find that simply being a woman is a
conscious challenge. Overall, however, your intentions are
good and others will recognize this and accept you.

Your Patterns of Relationship -- The Phase of Venus

Maya and Aztec astrologers observed the phases of the
planet Venus and correlated them with events on earth.
Venus has four basic phases: morning star, evening star,
and two conjunctions with the Sun. The phase of Venus you
were born under symbolizes your relationship patterns --
how you approach and become involved with others, both
individuals and groups.

You were born with Venus in its Evening Star phase.
According to the Maya, this is a 250-day period when Venus
is visible after the Sun sets. This phase follows the
Superior Conjunction phase and precedes the Inferior
Conjunction phase.

For you, feelings and emotions arise after an action
has been taken. In making judgments, which you do very
well, you evaluate what has happened against the background
of society's rules and values. You instinctively understand
the power, and perhaps the correctness, of the world as it
is and has been. The values and morals of the past are
important to you and your vision is one that has probably
been strongly influenced by tradition.

There is a sense of inevitable compromise in your life,
possibly a reaction to your awareness of having been
strongly imprinted by society, culture or your parents. One
result of this may be seen in your stance towards the powers
that be. It is possible that deep down you are troubled by
your conditioning and how it causes you to evaluate and
interpret the world in a certain way. But this is very
subtle and most of you will only notice this pattern in a
general way, far more obvious when viewed over the course of
a lifetime.

One positive manifestation of evening star Venus is
that you may become, consciously or unconsciously,
successful due to the fact that you personify certain family
and traditional values. In extreme cases, you could become
a hero, a person who represents what your society truly
believes in. It is through participation with the
traditions and cultural definitions of reality that you
achieve emotional satisfaction and success in life.

Your Days of Peak Experience

From time to time we experience periods where our lives
seem to be rushing forward -- almost out of control.
Sometimes we accomplish great things during these periods;
sometimes we become stressed or fail at something. More
often we find that our experience of life is more intense,
and richer. The Maya astrologers discovered such a cycle:
your "peak" dates in this cycle are listed below.

You will probably find that your experience of life
becomes more intense about five days before the peak date
and then builds. Keywords displayed next to the dates are a
suggestion of how to focus your energies.

Background - The Nature of Maya/Aztec astrology

Like the civilizations of China, India and the Ancient
Near East, the early American civilizations developed an
astrology, a logic of the sky. Archaeological evidence of
Native American astrology points to origins as far back as
600 BC, and perhaps even earlier. Unlike the astrologies of
the Old World, the astrology of ancient Mesoamerica (Mexico
and parts of Central America) developed in isolation and was
not influenced by other traditions. Its very nature
therefore is very different from the astrological traditions
Westerners are more familiar with.

All of the Mesoamerican civilizations, Olmec, Toltec,
Maya, Zapotec and Aztec, used essentially the same
astrology. Although the names of symbols varied, the
concepts remained the same. Because the Aztecs were the
predominant civilization at the time of the Spanish
Conquest, we have chosen to use their symbol names in this
modern reconstruction of the Mesoamerican astrological
tradition.

At the core of Mesoamerican astrology are the 20
day-signs. Like the 12 signs of the Western Zodiac, these
are signs descriptive of both personality and possibility.
In other words, the signs can be used to describe a person,
or they can describe an event. In the Western 12-sign
zodiac, the signs are sections of space spread across the
sky along the path of the Sun, Moon, and planets. The
Maya/Aztec day-signs are very different. They are based on
time and are actually names of days. Each sign lasts only
one day, until it comes up again twenty days later. Like
our 7-day week, which is astrological and named for the
planets, the Maya and Aztecs used a 20-day week for
astrological purposes.

There is no presently known reason why the Maya and
Aztecs used only 20 signs. Perhaps they had discovered an
important biorhythm or cycle. But besides the 20-days, they
also used a 13-day cycle (or sign) and these intertwined
with each other. While the days of the 20-day cycle each
have a name, the days of the 13-day cycle are numbered from
1 to 13. If you start both cycles together, the first day
of the 20-day cycle coinciding with the first day of the
13-day cycle, it will take exactly 260 days for all possible
combinations of day and number to occur. This period, 260
days, is the length of the sacred Mesoamerican astrological
calendar that this program is based on.

The 20 day-signs each have a name and a symbol. The
names of these with a brief meaning are listed below.

Alligator (east) - protective and dominating.

Wind (north) - agile, clever and multifaceted.

House (west) - deep, thoughtful and conservative.

Lizard (south) - active, dynamic and sexual.

Serpent (east) - powerful and charismatic.

Death (north) - sacrificing and helpful.

Deer (west) - cooperative and nomadic.

Rabbit (south) - clever and playful.

Water (east) - emotional and imaginative.

Dog (north) - loyal and helpful.

Monkey (west) - clever and demonstrative.

Grass (south) - careful and useful.

Reed (east) - knowledgable and crusading.

Ocelot (north) - intelligent and secretive.

Eagle (west) - free and independent.

Vulture (south) - authoritative and wise.

Earthquake (east) - intellectual but practical.

Knife (north) - self-sufficient but romantic.

Rain (west) - helpful and healing.

Flower (south) - loving and artistic.

You may have noticed that each of the signs is
connected to a particular direction. The signs of the east
are initiating and forceful. Those of the north are
intellectual and critical. Signs of the west are cooperative
and compromising. Signs of the south are emotional and
reactive.

The day-sign a person was born under is the named day
that occurred on their birthday. It delineates their most
obvious personality characteristics and traits. A person is
also born during one of twenty 13-day periods, periods that
begin with a day-sign linked to the number 1. The 13-day
period delineates their more subtle, possibly subconscious,
personality qualities. It shows their deeper instincts and
yearnings. The combination of day-sign and 13-day period
yields a quite complete personality description, perhaps as
good or even better than does the Western 12-sign zodiac.
It should be said that these two signs represent only a
partial reconstruction of what was once a more complex
system. The rest, including signs ruling the year and the
hour of birth, have been lost or completely recovered and
made workable.

Because the day-signs signify general meanings and
themes as well as personality configurations, they were used
by the Aztecs for divinations. Like the I-Ching, a random
drawing of beans or stones would allow a reader to find one
of the 260 sign/number combinations and thus an answer to a
question. Even today, the 260-day astrological calendar is
used by Native American daykeepers in remote parts of
Guatemala and Mexico. The divination section of this
program utilizes computer technology to randomly select the
sign/number combinations that may yield insights into a
question asked.

Because the Maya and Aztecs did not have a developed
writing system, and because most of their astrological
knowledge was destroyed by the Spanish friars, little was
known about this great product of theirs, and other
Mesoamerican, cultures. The delineations used in this
program were arrived at after several years of historical
investigation, deep thought, and trial and error
experimentation. Long lists of persons famous or known to
the author, yet born under the same day-sign, were compared
with each other. Eventually, this process led to some key
concepts about each of the signs and the results, in the
form of personality descriptions, are found in this program.
The meanings for the signs when used in divinations were
extrapolated from this information also.

We hope you find Maya/Aztec astrology to be not only
interesting and fun, but helpful and a source of insight
into your life.

The Year of Birth

The Maya and Aztecs believed that the year of birth could
be read astrologically and that the astrological qualities
of any given year were dependent on two factors. First is a
cycle of 4 years. In this cycle each succeeding year is
associated with one of the four directions in the order
east, north, west, and south. The directions are similar to
the elements (fire, air, earth, and water) in Western
astrology. The Aztec delineations for the years are as
follows.

East: creative/mental -- fertile/abundant

North: violent weather -- barren/dry/cold

West: wild/losses/illness -- cloudy/evil

South: good business/health -- variable

A second factor is a cycle of 52 years. In this longer
period, 13 repetitions of the basic 4-year cycle are
counted. As each year arrives, it is identified with a
number and a direction. Four cycles of 13 years each make
up the 52-year calendar round or Xiuhmolpilli.

Not all ancient Mexican cultures applied the cycle of
years the same way. There was a lack of consensus about
which year was linked to which number. The Aztecs used Reed
(east), Knife (north), House (west), and Rabbit (south).
The Classic Maya used Caban (east), Ik (north), Manik
(west), and Eb (south), which correlate with Earthquake,
Wind, Deer, and Grass. During Postclassic times the pattern
was changed. The Classic pattern is used by the Quiche Maya
who have kept the astrological traditions alive in
Guatamala. The author believes that the year correlation
established by the Classic Maya and continued by the Quiche
Maya works.

Four and eight-year cycles have been found in nature by
cycle researchers, a strong suggestion that there may be a
real material basis to the cycling of the years. It is also
interesting to note that the Olympics and United States
presidential elections are held in the same year, years that
are ruled by the east, according to the Quiche. Further,
the Chinese cycle of 12 years correlates with this pattern
if you look at it as three groupings of a 4-year cycle.

The Lords of the Night

One component of Maya astrology was a 9-day cycle that
ran alongside the cycle of the day-signs. These 9 days were
said to be ruled by the Lords of the Night, one for each
day. The names of the Maya gods are barely known, but the
Aztecs have left a complete list.

The Lords of the Night are not a calendar per se, but a
kind of symbolic cycle. The Maya linked the Lords to the
Long Count. We know that on August 11, -3113 the ninth Lord
was ruler. Start ing from this date we run a 9-day cycle
along with the day-signs which allows the program to find
the ruling Lord of the Night for any date. The 260-days of
the tzolkin do not mesh perfectly with the 9-day cycle and
it takes 9 cycles of 260 (2,340 days or 6.4 years) before
the same combination occurs again.

Much less is known about how the Aztecs used the cycle.
It appears that they ran the 9-day cycle against the 260
days and had the last two Lords ruling the last of the 260
days. In this manner the cycle would start again at the
same place. In Maya/Aztec Astro-Report we have chosen to
follow Maya usage.

Some writers have suggested that the Lords of the Night
are actually a division of the nightime hours. Like the
planetary hours of Western astrology, the night was divided
into 9ths with the 5th Lord's rule centered around midnight.
In this line of reasoning the day was divided into 13
hours.

The Cycle of Venus

Of the planets visible to the ancient skywatchers of
Mesoamerica, Venus was the most important. Due to its
alternations from morning to evening star it was believed to
be a symbol of certain profound dualities in nature and in
man. Because the orbit of Venus lies between the Earth and
the Sun, it never strays too far from the Sun and can only
be seen close to the times of sunrise and sunset, depending
on which part of its cycle it is in. From the perspective
of an observer, it takes Venus 584 days on average to
complete one cycle of morning and evening star. This figure
meshes with the solar year of 365 days and the 260-day
astrological calendar precisely every 104 years. The start
of its cycle was its first appearance as a morning star, an
event called by astronomers its heliacal rising.

According to the Dresden Codex, an ancient Maya
manuscript that is one of the most authoritative sources on
Maya astronomy and astrology, the cycle of Venus began when
its rays first appeared in the twilight of dawn. This event
usually occurs several days after the Inferior Conjunction
of Venus with the Sun. The Inferior Conjunction is so-named
because Venus, the lesser body, passes in front of the Sun,
the greater body. In this conjunction, Venus, which
disappears in rays of the Sun for over a week during this
time, comes closest to the Earth. The Maya allocated
exactly 8 days for this phase of the Venus cycle. After its
heliacal rising, the second phase of the Venus cycle, its
phase as a morning star, commenced. The Maya allocated 236
days to this period.

As Venus ends its time as a morning star, it once again
disappears into the rays of the Sun. As it moves to conjoin
the Sun again, it does so at its greatest distance from
Earth. The conjunction in this part of its cycle is called
the Superior Conjunction, because here Venus passes behind
the Sun. The Maya allocated 90 days for this third phase of
the cycle, a phase where Venus is not visible. After it
re-emerges from behind the rays of the Sun, Venus begins its
phase as an evening star, a phase for which the Maya
allocated 250 days. These four phases of the Venus cycle, 8
days, 236 days, 90 days and 250 days add up to 584 days, the
full cycle of Venus. The duration of these phases is a
symbolic approximation of the astronomical facts, which
actually vary somewhat from cycle to cycle.

The Maya and Aztecs believed that the cycle of Venus
depicted the experiences of the god Quetzalcoatl in his
descent to Earth. The first rising of Venus as a morning
star symbolized his arrival on Earth. During the morning
star phase Quetzalcoatl was overcome by desire and lust and
committed sins; he pushed against the boundaries of society.
During the disappearance of Venus at Superior Conjunction,
a warlike athletic duel with the Sun took place and during
the evening star phase, Quetzalcoatl, now fully sober,
walked the Earth until his sacrificial death during the
Inferior Conjunction. He was then reborn as the new Venus
and the cycle began again.

This report calculates the phase that Venus was in at
your birth according to the figures used and recorded by the
ancient Maya. For each phase, the program offers a brief
interpretation of the possible significance of Venus, symbol
of both impulsive personal desire and collective social
values, in your life.

Maya/Aztec Predictive Techniques

In ancient times, the 260-day astrological calendar was
subdivided into four ritual periods or "seasons." Centered
on the days 4-Serpent, 4-Dog, 4-Eagle and 4-Flower were what
were known as the "burner" periods, or times when the
"burner" would flare up. These divisions were spaced 65
days apart (260 divided by 4 = 65). In this context the
260-day calendar was used in a collective manner (as in
mundane astrology) and perhaps these were times when certain
kinds of extremes were experienced by the community.
Rituals involving fires were staged with the intention of
preventing or healing communal crises. Interestingly, these
dates often fall within a few days of newsworthy crises that
occur in today's world.

In the modern world where the individual comes first,
experience has shown that dividing the 260-day cycle into
fourths beginning from one's birthday reveals "critical"
points that mark shifts or changes in personal matters. In
many cases rather extreme events do occur precisely on one
of the critical days, in others the effects occur a few days
earlier. In some cases the effects are more subtle or
psychological in nature. In understanding these critical
dates it is helpful to view them from two perspectives,
cycle and direction.

From your birthday, every 260 days represents one
completed cycle in life. If this cycle of 260 days is
divided by 4, or quartered, four sets, or "seasons," of 65
days is the result. Using the symbolism of the Sun/Moon
cycle as a model, the occurrence of the birth day-sign is
like the New Moon, the beginning of the cycle and a time of
personal centering and new, barely conscious, beginnings. 65
days later corresponds (symbolically) to the first quarter,
a time of crisis that demands action and adjustment. The
midpoint of the cycle, 130 days, corresponds to the Full
Moon, a time of separation or perspective. 195 days from
the start of the cycle compares with the third quarter, a
time of crisis requiring conscious choice.

The second perspective on the critical days is to
recognize that each of the four dates in the cycle
corresponds to one of the four directions. These are listed
below.

East: Alligator, Serpent, Water, Reed, Earthquake. These
are points that emphasize the need to be creative, to do
something new and to move forward.

North: Wind, Death, Dog, Ocelot, Knife. These are points
that may indicate crisis and the need to protect oneself
from negative energy. The mind is under pressure during
these times.

West: House, Deer, Monkey, Eagle, Rain. These are points
of encounter with others, times of sharing and loss of ego.
Relationships are important now.

South: Lizard, Rabbit, Grass, Vulture, Flower. These are
points of strong feelings and emotional extremes. These may
also be times of accomplishment and activity in the outside
world.

Combining cycle symbolism with directional symbolism
gives deeper insight into the patterns of the critical days.
For example, if a sign of the north coincides with one of
the quarters, a stressful time might be expected. If a sign
of the west coincides with the opposition, important
developments in relationships may be a prominent theme. A
keyword has been given for each of the combinations that may
suggest the direction in which the energies and trends are
heading around that time. Experience has also shown that the
effects of the critical days often become apparent several
days before the exact day computed in this report.